What does it mean to celebrate the birthday of a tree? When we celebrate the birthday of our fellow humans, it’s generally to lift up and celebrate what makes each person in our community unique and special. Trees, by contrast, seem to be the opposite of unique; vast forests of essentially identical trees dot the landscape of America. There is a reason why green is the color Disney uses to hide things in plain sight: our brain teaches us to zone out wide swathes of green to focus on more important details in the landscape around us.
And while the volume of trees around us may limit our ability to celebrate each tree we come across individually when Tu’Bishvat starts this weekend, driving through the farmland around Texas helped me focus on one specific variety to celebrate on the chag: the pecan tree.
The pecan tree is the state tree of Texas; we produce over 37 million pounds of nuts (or over ten percent of total US production). Pecan wood is also one of a few prized varieties for Texas’ famous BBQ smoking. Greene is lucky enough to have a number of family pecan farms close by – I visited Russel’s Pecans, just outside of Waco, to go a bit nuts about Texans’ favorite nut.
In 1578 a Spanish explorer named Cebeza de Vacas shipwrecked on Galveston Island and was rescued and befriended by the Karakawa tribe of indigenous Americans. They showed him, among other things, the nut trees that flourished along the rivers that flowed from further inland. The trees seemed to grow even stronger during the regular seasonal flooding the rivers and streams experienced, and the fruit of the tree, which when cracked produced what we now know as pecans, was so abundant that as indigenous people (and later, explorers) made their way upstream they could hold out nets and bring in large batches very easily.
The fruits were easy to crack and the nuts were delicious even raw. Coupled with the tree’s locations near waterways, indigenous peoples quickly adapted to harvesting as they traveled on trading routes and they became a key component of tribes’ bartering system. The word Pecan comes from an Algonquin tribe word pacane (meaning nut that requires a stone to crack), an incredible indicator of the range of travel of the pecan trade, given that the Algonquin tribes were indigenous to Canadian land.
Some more fun facts about Pecans!
· It takes about 10 years for a pecan to reach maturity and start producing nuts. After it reaches maturity, A tree can produce pecans for up to 100 years, and can live for an additional 200 years after that.
· Pecans are some of the largest trees that live in North America – they can grow over 100′ tall and 75′ wide, and can grow up to 24″ in a single year.
· Technically, pecans are not actually a nut. They are considered a drupe: a fruit with a stone pit surrounded by a husk. The portion you eat is the pit - much like a peach has a stone pit.
Having grown up in the north with its prolonged winters and cool summer nights not ideal for pecan tree growth, I did not experience the joy of seeing the delightfully simple method pecan farmers use to harvest their crop until we moved to Dallas a few years ago – if you haven’t seen it, take a moment to embrace a small joy of the universe.
Pecan Pie
Lightly adapted from The Smitten Kitchen
Ingredients
Crust
1 1/4 cups (155 grams) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons (6 grams) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) fine sea or table salt
1 stick (115 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1/4 cup very cold water, plus an additional tablespoon if needed
Filling
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup golden syrup or corn syrup
A pinch or two of sea salt
2 cups pecan halves
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs
Upgrade Option Number 1: Golden Syrup
The US is really behind in the international syrup race. Corn Syrup, used in pecan pie because it is an invert sugar that prevents the pie from crystallizing, is sweet but really tastes like nothing. England is way ahead of the game, where golden syrup, a lightly toasted cane sugar syrup, is still an inverse sugar, but comes packed with carmel flavor that requires no additional work outside of clicking “order” on the Whole Foods website.
Procedure
Make the pie dough:
In the work bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt and sugar. Add butter and pulse machine until mixture resembles a coarse meal and the largest bits of butter are the size of tiny peas.
Turn mixture out into mixing bowl. Add 1/4 cup cold water and stir with a spoon or flexible silicone spatula until large clumps form. Use your hands to knead the dough together, right in the bottom of the bowl. If necessary to bring the dough together, you can add the last tablespoon of water.
Wrap dough in a sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour, or up to 48 hours, or you can quick-firm this in the freezer for 15 minutes. Longer than 2 days, it’s best to freeze it until needed.
On a floured counter, roll the dough out into a 12 to 13-inch circle-ish shape. Fold dough gently in quarters without creasing and transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Unfold dough and trim overhang to about 1/2-inch. Fold overhang under edge of pie crust and crimp decoratively. If not parbaking, place in fridge until ready to fill.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 (or 400, see upgrade option 1 below)
Upgrade Option Number 2: Par-bake the crust
If, like noted challah-baker Paul Hollywood, you despise a soggy bottom, you can par bake your crust in the pan for a crispier and more caramelized crust. Heat oven 400°F (205°C). Line frozen crust with lightly buttered or oiled foil. Fill with dried beans. Bake on a rimmed baking sheet for 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and let cool a little before filling. Reduce oven heat to 350 to bake the actual pie.
Upgrade Option Number 3: Toast the Pecans
Toasting nuts releases natural oils, intensifying the flavor and making the nuts more crispy. I personally like my pecans a bit softer for pie, but toasting pecans ahead of baking also upgrades the buttery pecan flavor, so decide whats best for you! Spread pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring once or twice so that they toast evenly. Set aside until needed.
Make the filling:
In medium saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, golden syrup and pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 2 minutes, stirring.
Remove from heat and stir in pecans, cider vinegar, vanilla and bourbon (if using). Pour into a bowl (so that it cools faster) and set the mixture aside to cool a little, about 5 to 10 minutes. Then, whisk in the eggs until combined. Pour mixture into prepared pie shell.
Bake For 40 to 45 minutes. The pie is done with the edges are set and puffed slightly and the center is slightly firm to the touch but still has some jiggle to it. Cool on a rack. Serve slightly warm or room temperature